Electric baseboard heater



Oct. 29, 1968 T.F. PELTAK ET AL 3,408,480

' ELECTRIC BASEBOARD HEATER Filed Sept. 27, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATT NEY Oct. 29, 1968 PELTAK ET AL 3,408,480

ELECTRIC BASEBOARD HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 27, 1965 FIG.5

5 K S R mxm m m m W r O z MW 4Y fi UnitedStates Patent ()1 B e 3,408,480 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 3,408,480 I I ELECTRIC BASEBOARD HEATER Thomas F; Peltak, Manchester, and Harley J. Orr, Bed- .ford, N. I-I., assiguors to Basic Products Corporation,

Milwaukee, Wis a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Sept. 27, 1965, Ser. No, 490,442 3 Claims. (Cl. 219-368) ABSTRACT on THE DISCLOSURE I A baseboard heater has a heating element-containing subassembly. removable as an integral unit from an openfaced housing. The subassembly includes a front plate relation to each other by brackets to define an air flow passage. An electric heatingelement is freely Suspended :within the passage from the brackets and a screen guard is secured to the brackets intermediate the heating element and the front plate. The subassembly is removably secured to a sloping support surface in the housing so that the subassembly is forwardly and downwardly inclined relative to the vertical housing rear wall.

This invention relates to baseboard heaters and particularly to an improved baseboard heater in which air is heated by convection.

Prior known baseboard heaters have been unsatisfactory because the wall against which they have been mounted becomes discolored by virtue of the convection air currents conducting dust and dirt particles upwardly therealong.

Known prior art baseboard heaters that involve a multiplicity of parts require considerable effort to install them. Consequently, it is difficult and time-consuming to make maintenance repairs thereto. Furthermore, electric baseboard heaters heretofore have employed duct means for conveying wires throughout their length, which wires terminate in junction boxes at each end of each section of such electric baseboard heaters.

Other known electric baseboard heaters have inadequately provided for the expansion and contraction of the heating element therein, causing excessive strain and distortion of the supporting elements therefor.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an electric baseboard heater that will overcome the above as well as other disadvantages of known baseboard heaters.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electric baseboard heater that is of simple design and capable of easy installation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electric baseboard heater in which one or two easily accessible screws are employed to assemble the components of the baseboard heater.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such an electric baseboard heater in which the exterior contour of the duct through which the electric conductors pass does not inhibit the free flow of convection air into the bottom of the baseboard heater.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electric baseboard heater in which junction box means is provided at each end of each unit of such heater.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such an electric baseboard heater in which the air velocity loss therethrough is minimized, and a maximum horizontal velocity. component of exhaust air into the room or zone being conditioned is provided.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an electric baseboard heater in which radiated heat from .and a rear bafiie with a curved upper edge held in spaced v 2 a the heating element does not materially aiiect'the front, exposed surface of the baseboard heater.

Still another object of the invention'is to provide such an electric baseboard heater including heating cutout means which is positioned to produce minimum cutout time resulting from the blockage of input and/ or output air of the heater.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an electric baseboard heater in which the heating element is suspended within the heater in a manner to permit linear movement of the heater element as it expands and contracts. I

In one aspect of the invention, a baseboard heater may comprise a generally channel-shaped sheet metal element of convenient length to be easily handled. The

wall of the channel joining the parallel legs thereof is adapted to be rigidly attached to a vertical wall in the 'room or'zone to be conditioned, one leg of the channelshaped member resting on, or located adjacent the floor of said room.

In another aspect of the invention, the lower leg of the channel-shaped member that is adjacent the floor may be provided with a concave outward sheet metal portion that is connected between the outer extremity of the bottom leg and the wall joining the parallel legs of the channel-shaped member. This construction provides a wire-way or duct through which conductors are adapted to pass, and there also may be provided at each end of the channel-shaped member a junction box for connecting together the wires of successive sections of the baseboard panel.

In a further aspect of the invention, there may be provided between the parallel legs of the channel-shaped member a baffle support having a wall that inclines outwardly from a lower point to an upper point. The lower end of the baflie support may include a channel element for the reception of the lower end of a baffie.

In another aspect of the invention, the baflle may comprise a sheet metal member having a back wall adapted to rest against, and be fixed to the outwardly inclined portion of the bafile support with its bottom edge received within the channel-shaped element. The top of the baflle may be provided with a smooth, outwardly curved portion for converting the rising convection air current to a maximum horizontal velocity component directing the airstream horizontally into the room or zone to be conditioned and away from the wall to which the baseboard heater is attached.

In a further aspect of the invention, there may be provided one or two self-contained screws in the baflle such that they may be threaded into holes within the bafiie support and constitute the sole means for supporting the baflie and its associated structure to the baflie support.

In a still further aspect of the invention, a support for the electrical heating element may be attached to the baffle at opposite ends thereof and in aligned relation.

The heating element support may comprise a bracket member having a cutout portion adapted to permit the passage therethrough of the heating element. One leg of the support may be severed so that a portion of it can be bent at right angles to the support, forming a lower tab means, and upper tab means is also formed on an upper leg of the heating element support.

In still another aspect of the invention, U-shaped supports of wire may be removably attached to each of the heating element supports. The wire supports are aligned with the openings in the heater supports, and the heating element itself is suspended from the supports by the U- shaped wire members.

In a further aspect of the invention, a front screen guard may extend from the top of the bafile downwardly in front of, and spaced from the heating element. It may support may include a pair of aligned holes 38 through which the legs 39 and 40 ofa -spring,--U-

boxes at the bottom of the baseboard heater, and its upper H extremity may be releasably engaged by tab means on the baflie to retain it in its proper position.

In a still further aspect of the invention, a front plate may be connected to the screen guard by a spring clip that extends between a lip of the front plate at its bottom, and which spring clip cooperates with the lower tab means on the heating element support. The upper end of the plate may be engaged by the tab means on the upper portion of the heating element support.

In a further aspect of the invention, the screen guard may be provided with a plurality of openings at its upper end and at its lower end, with an imperforate section therebetween thereby to prevent radiant heat from the heating element from acting on the front plate.

The above, as well as other objects and novel features of the improved baseboard heater will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings which are merely exemplary.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a room or zone to be conditioned, showing a baseboard heater to which the principles of the invention have been applied;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the baseboard heater shown in FIG. 1 with the end cover removed to show the various components thereof;

FIG. 3 is a partial exploded perspective view of the various components of the baseboard heater;

FIG. 4 is a perspective partial exploded view of the heating element support and suspension means for the heater; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of FIG. 3, with the baflie shown attached to the baflie support.

Referring to the drawings, the principles of the invention are shown as applied to a baseboard electric heater that is mounted along side walls 11 and 12 of a room or enclosure, and resting on a floor 13 thereof.

Baseboard heater 10 may comprise a supporting housing 14 including an upper horizontal leg 15 that is shown hollow in the embodiment disclosed. Horizontal leg 15 is connected to a vertical wall 16 adapted to be rigidly attached to the Walls 11 or 12. A bottom leg 17 extends in the same direction from the vertical wall 16, and parallel with the upper leg 15. A concave outward sheet metal element 18 has one edge connected to the front edge of the bottom leg 17 and its opposite edge 19 connected to the back wall 16. This provides a duct 20* (FIG. 3) through which wiring may extend for connecting adjacent sections of the baseboard heater to each other. A junction box 21 may be connected to each end of a section of the baseboard heater into which the duct 20 opens. A support 22 may be mounted on the back wall 16 of the housing 14, and it may comprise an upper wall 23 extending vertically outwardly from the back wall 16, and an inclined, downwardly extending front wall 24, the bottom of which is connected to the back Wall 16 and includes a plurality of channel shaped bracket elements 25 extending along its lower edge.

A bafiie 26 may comprise a back plate 27 at the top of which is a curved portion 28 having a relatively large radius. The lower edge 29 of the baffle 26 is adapted to be received within the channel 25 on support 22. One or two screws 30 are self-contained within the back plate 27 of the baflie 26, and they are adapted to be threaded into holes 31 in the front face 24 of support 22.

An electrical heating element support 32 may comprise a bracket including a flanged portion 33 that is fixed to the plate 27 of baflle 26. The support 32 may include an upper leg 34 having tab means 35 at its free end, for a purpose to be described later. The sup port 32 may also include a lower leg 36 having a tab portion 37 integral with its free end for a purpose likewise to be described later.

shaped clip arrangement 41 are adapted to pass. When the legs 39 and 40 of the clip 41 are mounted within the holes 38 of leg 34, the clip is aligned with the opening 42 formed in the support 32, and is somewhat smaller than said opening. I a v f e There may be an identical support 32 at the opposite end of the baflle 26, and an electrical heating'element 43 may be suspended by theU-shaped-clip 41 with its ends extending-throughthe openings 42 in the support 32. This construction permits longitudinal expansion and contraction of the heating element 43 as it heats up and cools down.

A screen guard 44 may include an upperedge that is flanged to cooperate'with a flange 45 on the outer extremity of the curved portion 28 of the baflie 26. The lower end of the screen 44 may include a portion 46 that may rest on the top of junction box 21 when the components are assembled, or it maybe supported many other suitable way. The screen 44 may include a plurality of openings 47 along its upper edge and a plurality of similar openings 48 along its lower edge. The intermediate portion of the screen 44 between the openings 47 and 48 is solid, for a purpose to be described later.

A front plate 49 is adapted to be attached to the screen 44 between openings 47 and 48 therein. Front plate 49 may have a front face 50 joined by upper and lower beveled portions 51 and 52. The upper beveled portion 51 terminates in an inturned flange 53 adapted to cooperate with the top edge of the tab 35 on element support 32. The lower inclined face 52 of the front plate 49 is provided with an inturned flange 54 that receives a tab 55 on a spring clip 56 (FIG. 4) that is adapted to slide onto the tab 37 of element support 32. The construction and arrangement of the parts are such that with the support 32 fixed to plate 27- of baflie 26, the tabs 35 and 37 cooperating with the flange 53 and spring clip 56 to rigidly hold the front plate 49 and the screen 44 to the baflie 26 as a unit.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, it is evident that this combined unit of the baflle, heating element support, element, screen and front plate can be attached to, or removed from the front plate 24 of the support 22 by screws 30 threaded into holes 31 of the front plate 24 of support 22.

From the foregoing it is evident that the electric baseboard heating unit permits the unimpeded flow of air through the openings 48 of screen 44, up along the concave surface 18, thence upwardly along the baffle 26. When it reaches the portion 28 of baflie 26, the velocity of the incoming air is changed from substantially a vertical velocity component to a substantially horizontal velocity component exhausting through the openings 47 in screen 44 outwardly into the room or zone to be conditioned, thereby preventing soiling of the wall 11 directly above the baseboard heating element 10. Furthermore, with the heating element 43 suspended by the U-shaped clip 41, longitudinal expansion and contraction thereof can be accommodated with ease. Additionally, with the screen 44 being solid between the openings 47 and'48 therein, radiant energy from the heating element 43 is prevented from being transmitted to the front plate 49.

In order to provide an instantly responsive control element for supplying current to, and cutting off current from the heating element 43, a capillary tube heating cutout element 57 is held by clip means 58 along the underside of the upper leg 15 of housing 10. This capillary heating cutout element is located at a point where the blockage of input and/or output of the heater 10 is instantly detected.

Although the various features of the improved electrically heated baseboard have been shown and described in detail to fully disclose one embodiment of the invention, it will be evident that changes may be made in such details, and certain features may be used without others without departing from the principles of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a baseboard heater, the combination comprising a channel-shaped housing element having a fiat vertical rear wall and laterally projecting horizontal upper and lower legs, said housing element being open along the front side, said rear wall being adapted to be rigidly attached to a vertical wall of a room being conditioned and said lower leg being adjacent the floor thereof, a concave sheet element extending inwardly and upwardly from the outer edge of said lower leg to a point on said rear wall intermediate said upper and lower legs and providing a conduit within which electrical wires are adapted to be arranged, support means attached to said rear wall and including a downwardly and rearwardly sloping front wall facing the open front side of said housing element, bracket means on said support means, baffi'e means including a flat wall and a curved upper portion, the lower edge of said bafiie means interengaging said bracket means, and screw means for removably attaching said baflle means to said support means whereby said baflie means is disposed at an angle relative to said rear wall, said curved upper portion being of a relatively large radius for changing the upfiowing air horizontally with a minimum of air velocity loss'to provide a maximum horizontal velocity component of exhaust air, a heating element support fixed to said bafile means and including leg portions having tabs at the ends thereof, a heating element mounted in said element support, a screen guard interconnected with said element support and the free edge of the curved portion of said bafile means, a. front plate attached to said support tabs for holding said screen guard in position'relative to said baflle means;'said baflie means, heating element support, heating element, screen and front plate constituting an integral unit removable in said housing element. v

2. In a baseboard heater according to claim '1, wherein said heating element support has a generally U-shaped clip means removably depending therefrom for supporting said heating element therein.

3. In a baseboard heater according to claim 1, wherein said bracket means on said support means includes channel U-shaped brackets at the lower edge of the front wall thereof, and whereby the lower edge of said baflle means interengages said brackets.

v References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,606,992 8/1952 MacDonald 219365 2,866,070 12/1958 Parks ct al. 219-368 X 2,924,693 2/ 1960 Ripley.

2,954,456 9/1960 Calhoun et a1. 219368 2,993,978 7/1961 Markel et a1 219366 X 3,071,677 1/1963 Mast 219367 3,084,240 4/1963 Mast 219365 X 3,165,624 I/ 1965 Cunningham 219365 3,294,158 12/1966 'Baljet 219367 X ANTHONY BARTIS, Primary Examiner. 

